wedding wednesday

i'm quickly finding out that the most invaluable thing i've done while trying to plan my own wedding is talking to people who have recently gotten married. luckily, i know a good handful of people who have just walked down the aisle.

and of course, what kind of blogger would i be if i didn't share all the fun things i'm learning with my fabulous readers??!!

i've learned so much from the wedding of matt & carmella adams! i've mentioned carmella before, and she's extra special to me because she's my maid of honor <3

bride & groom: carmella and matthew adams

wedding date: july 30, 2011

wedding location: doubletree hotel, san pedro, california

number of guests: 130

how long did you have to plan your wedding? would you have preferred more time, less time, or do you think you got it just right?
we got engaged August 28, 2009 and we were married July 30, 2011. it was just shy of two years. i was happy to have that much time to plan and save money. we were also able to enjoy our engagement which is such a special time.

how did you and your partner finance your wedding? did your family (or families) help with any expenses?
we paid for all vendors except flowers. my parents paid for the flowers and the venue. matt's family gave us money to go towards whatever was needed. my parents bought my wedding dress and veil too. we wanted to buy the flower girl's and ring bearer's outfits to thank them for being part of our special day. we also paid for the bridesmaids dresses that lived out of town. we did a lot of diy projects to help keep the cost down. that included our invitations. we only spent $20 on our invitations. it cost more to buy the stamps for them! we used an envelope system in order to save money for each vendor. our goal was to have no debt when the wedding day came. we had an envelope for everything, from the DJ to my mani/pedi. also had an envelope for our honeymoon. 

which vendor was your favorite to work with and why? which vendor was your least favorite to work with and why?
my favorite vendor was my DJ. he was amazing!!!! he did everything i asked and was on time for every appointment. his name is Marcus and he owns IDJ services. i totally recommend him. he was a little expensive but worth every penny.
the vendor i would never recommend using was Petals by Xavi. i first met with Kevin who is very nice. listened to everything i said and stayed in my budget. we put down the nonrefundable deposit but i felt very happy with my choice. when the time came for the final approval and to pay the rest of the balance we had to meet with Xavi (the owner). she was 20 minutes late for our appointment and tried to blame it on us saying we were early. then tried to up sell and change my centerpiece ideas. then wanted to add flowers here, there and everywhere. she wasn't listening to me and it was obvious she just looked at my mom and i as a dollar sign. after we paid our balance and stuck with our original plan, we get a phone saying we owe more money due to something else. she was just so unprofessional about it on the phone. i informed her that i will be sure to NOT recommend her. 

is there anything you had to compromise on or sacrifice? how do you feel about your compromise in hindsight?
i really wanted to photobooth at our reception, but matt wasn't too crazy about it. 

 i know it’s probably impossible to pick just one, but what is a top 5 favorite moment from your wedding?
the wedding day was kind of a blur haha but my top 5 moments are:
1. seeing matt tear up as i walked down the aisle
2. my nephew interrupting the best man's speech to show him a dinosaur book.
3. the surprise dance off for my bridal party
4. trevor falling down the stairs during pictures
5. our first dance

what is the best piece of advice you received while planning your wedding? what is the best piece of advice you can offer brides who are currently planning their weddings?
everyone kept telling me that its just one day out of your life and it to enjoy every minute of it because it will go by fast. i would tell other brides that most likely something will go wrong on your day and to remember that no one will notice but you, so who cares! just enjoy your day. and to not let other people get in the way of your happiness as you plan it.

thank you so much, carmella, for sharing your special day!

*i have to mention that all the photos you see were taken by austin adams photography. and i'm so happy because austin and his team are shooting our wedding!